Dance With the Devil
by Theodore is Rice
Summary: Silence. A dark past. Breathe. A letter that draws him in. Thump. An old memory. Drain. Someone he thought he had buried months ago. And now he has to face it again. There's a deeper meaning behind that letter, a method to the madness. And she... she was the cause of the encounter. Silence. There was only ever her.


This goes along with the song "Dance With the Devil" by Breaking Benjamin. I love that band so much. I don't own it or PJO/HoO. Involves an extremely OOC Percy and an OOC Nico.

* * *

 _Silence._

Nico frowned as he read the letter that had arrived earlier that day. Apparently, he'd left some things in... that house.

The house that Nico used to share with _him._

Percy Jackson.

A year ago, Percy started to abuse Nico. Nine months ago, Nico had found out that Percy did drugs. Six months ago, Nico moved out with the help of his long-time friend Annabeth Chase. And now he had to go back there. The place that held so many nightmares for him.

 _Blink._

Nico let out a breath that he hadn't known he had been holding.

His eyes scanned the rest of the paper. It was signed by the current owner of that house (apparently Percy had moved out, too). His name was Elias Hunfreid. Nico's lips tilted upward. It was a little bit of a funny name.

 _Snap._

Nico's eyes jerked toward the letter and looked the paper over again, just to make sure.

The letter had no mention of Percy in its contents. Nico hoped that he wouldn't show up.

* * *

 _Dear Mister di Angelo:_

 _I have bought the apartment that you had previously owned. As I looked into a room, however, I realized that I had missed a few boxes. I had not seen these when I was looking into it. I request that you kindly move your belongings to your own home. It would be most pleasing if you could come soon_

 _I am very sorry to bother you, but I would like to unpack. The door will be ajar._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Elias Hunfreid_

* * *

The next day, Nico was at the door of the house. The door was slightly ajar, as promised, and Nico could hear something that sounded like a box being opened. Maybe the owner was unpacking.

When he swung the door open the rest of the way, Nico's eyes widened. He sucked in a breath.

 _Hush._

It was Percy. The older man looked at him. Percy had gotten thin. His skin was pale and his eyes...

Oh, gods, his eyes.

They were sunken and shallow, as if there were no life in them.

 _Speak._

"Hey," Percy croaked hoarsely. Nico tensed up.

* * *

 _Here I stand, helpless and left for dead._

* * *

Nico gulped and took a deep breath. He screwed his eyes shut and stumbled back out of the door.

 _Questions._

Why? Dear gods, why was _he_ here?

* * *

 _Close your eyes, so many days go by._

 _Easy to find what's wrong, harder to find what's right._

* * *

Nico hadn't seen Percy in so long. How did his luck run out? Nico needed to go back in there and get his stuff, but he was afraid of walking into that apartment. Instead of going toward the door, he took three steps back.

 _Go._

Four, then five. What was he doing?

He would get his stuff and get out. Nothing else. Nico steeled himself and walked. His feet crunched. Gravel. It was the gravel.

 _Crunch._

* * *

 _I believe in you, I can show you that I can see right through all your empty lies._

* * *

Nico tilted his head. The door was shut now. He reached a hand out to open the door.

 _Click._

It swung open and Nico went in. Percy was in one of the bedrooms. Nico slowly walked toward him, ready to put his arms up.

 _Shield._

He was scared out of his mind. Nico opened one of the boxes that sat in the back of the room.

* * *

 _I won't stay long, in this world so wrong._

* * *

Nico sifted through the box, removing everything that he could as quickly as he could. He didn't want to be with Percy longer than needed.

 _Shift._

Nico jumped when Percy moved closer to him. He quickly got to his feet and was followed by Percy. The black-haired man looked at him and reached toward him.

 _Run._

Nico needed to get out.

 _Away._

* * *

 _Say goodbye, as we dance with the devil tonight._

 _Don't you dare look at him in the eye, as we dance with the devil tonight_

* * *

Nico opened his mouth. He had to say something. Had to get out. Had to run. But the two stood there.

 _Staring._

Brown on green. Percy's lips twitched and Nico grimaced.

 _Empty._

* * *

 _Trembling, crawling across my skin._

 _Feeling your cold dead eyes, stealing the life of mine._

* * *

Percy's stance and the way his muscled were tensed sent a shiver down Nico's spine.

 _Scared._

Green on brown, now. It was reversed and Percy's eyes bored into Nico's soul, sucking the light out of him.

 _Drain._

* * *

 _I believe in you, I can show you that I can see right through all your empty lies._

 _I won't last long, in this world so wrong._

* * *

Nico knew that Percy couldn't possibly want to hurt him again. Right?

 _Wrong._

Percy took a step toward Nico. The latter tried to backpedal, but it was fruitless.

 _Failure._

Percy's hand latched onto Nico's wrist. Nico whimpered.

* * *

 _Say goodbye, as we dance with the devil tonight._

 _Don't you dare look at him in the eye, as we dance with the devil tonight._

* * *

Nico turned his head toward the ground, refusing to look at Percy.

 _Anger._

"Look at me!" The shout rang out through the empty room and into the hallway.

Nico closed his eyes and tried to sidestep Percy, but he blocked Nico.

 _Lead._

It was a cruel dance designed to torment Nico, and Percy was the choreographer.

 _"Hold on,"_ Percy hissed.

* * *

 _Hold on_

 _Hold on_

* * *

Nico didn't want to hold on. He wanted to go.

 _Twist._

He wrenched his wrist away from Percy and scowled. "You don't get to tell me what to do."

 _Shout._

"I said _HOLD. ON."_ This was too far.

"NO!" Nico almost screamed. This had escalated too quickly.

 _Grip._

Percy used this opportunity to seize Nico's wrists and pin them above his head.

* * *

 _Say goodbye, as we dance with the devil tonight._

 _Don't you dare look at him in the eye, as we dance with the devil tonight._

* * *

A tear slid down Nico's cheek and it _burned._

"No, Percy. No!" Nico let his legs go limp and he dropped to the floor.

 _Stagger._

Percy stumbled back, taken by surprise, and Nico got back up.

 _Pass._

Nico shoved past the older man.

 _"Hold on."_ Percy's voice. Demanding.

 _Command._

* * *

 _Hold on_

 _Hold on_

* * *

 _"Goodbye,"_ was the last word that Nico said to Percy.

He would never see the brown-eyed young man for the rest of his life, and Nico would never see nor speak to his old ghost again.

* * *

 _Goodbye._

* * *

The boxes were left abandoned on the floor of the apartment. No Mister Hunfreid ever came to the apartment.

And a week later, a lean, beautiful woman stood in the apartment.

 _Charms._

Any sane man would have known that this enchanting figure was the very definition of beauty.

 _Glint._

But her eyes had a gleam that separated her from society.

 _Madness._

Her eyes glinted with insanity and she giggled. Her movements were jerky.

"Elias Hunfreid," she sneered. Even in insanity, her voice was smooth and perfect. "No. Such. Man."

 _Laugh._

She paused and let out another insane giggle.

"There was only ever me."

 _Aphrodite._

* * *

 **How did you like this? I know it is not at all like my usual style, but I was DYING to write this.**


End file.
